Filing-cabinet.



D. E. HUNTER. FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14.1917.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

min/mm M DAVID E. HUNTER, 0F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHAW-WALKER COMPANY, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FILING-CABINET.

Application filed July 14, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to filing cabinets and particularly to cabinets constructed of sheet metal. v

In filing cabinets it is desirable to subdivide the filing drawers by partitions which can be placed at desired points depending upon the amount of space desired in each sub-division, and the main object of my invention is to provide in sheet metal drawers improved partitions and improved means for rigidly supporting the partitions in upright osition so that they will not give or bend under pressure. In such sheet metal drawers the bottoms have usually longitudinally extending ridges and depressions to stiflen the bottom, and in accordance with my invention I provide'vertical slots in the side walls of the ridges extending a distance laterally along the top walls of the ridges, and on the sheet metal partitions I provide extension for engaging in these slots, the vertical sides of the slots affording suflicient vertical support to hold the partitions rigidly in up-right position.

On the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a drawer with part of the side wall broken away,

Fig. 2 is a plan view,

Fig. 3 is a view from plane 33, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on plane lt-1, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a erspective view of the lower end of one of the partitions, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on plane 66, Fig. 2, showing a modified arrangement.

The drawer shown has the front wall 10 and the bottom and side walls 11, 12, and 13 respectively, which bottom and side walls may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal. To strengthen and stiffen the bottom wall it is provided with longitudinally extending ridges 14: and depressions or grooves 15, the drawing showing two edges, a wide center groove and narrower grooves Specification of Letters Patent.

right position Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Serial No. 180,629.

at the sides. In the vertical sides 16 I provide opposed slots 17 on which horizontal slots 18 extend a distance laterally in the top wall of the ridges. These slots are adapted to receive the opposite ends of extensions or tongues 19 of sheet metal partitions 20, the vertical edges of the slots 17 aifording considerable vertical support for the partitions to hold them rigidly in upwhen correspondence is packed between the partitions.

In order to strengthen the partitions against bending strengthening plates 21 may be riveted or spot-welded thereto and these plates may extend across the tongues 19 at the sides thereof to engage in the supporting slots 17. The tongues could be made ust wide enough to engage in the grooves between the sides 16 of the ridges and the strengthening plates applied to project a sufficient distance beyond the tongue sides to engage in the slots 17 to support the partitions in up-right position. The partitlons can be readily inserted or withdrawn without need of removing the drawer contents. Any number of sets of slots 17 may be provided and spaced as desired in order to give a wide range of sub-divisions.

In Fig. 6 a modified arrangement is shown. It may be desirable to incline the partitions slightly one way or the other and for this purpose the slot 17 has its side edges 22 and 23 cut away diagonally to leave steps 24 and 25 respectively. When it is desired to incline the partitions it is raised above the lower end of the slot 17 and swung to one side to seat against either the step 24 or 25, the partition then resting above the step against the edge 26 or 27 of the slot 18. When the partition is thus inclined it is rigidly held against further inclination. Instead of having the step 24 and 25, the diagonal edges 22 and 23 could be extended to the bottom of the depression or groove 15.

The construction and arrangement is very simple but has proven very efficient. The supporting slots can be readily punched during formation of the base with practically no additional cost and the partitions are simple sheet metal stain-pings, the application of the trengthening lates being likewise inexpensive.

Having described my invention, I claim the following:

1. In a sheet metal filing drawer, the comits bottom, of a partition having an extension for engaging in said groove, there be ing opposed notches in the'sides of said groove receiving the sides of said extension to thereby rigidly support the partition in upright position, said extension being entirely above the floor of said groove.

3. In a filing cabinet container, the combination with a sheet metal bottom having opposed parallel Walls extending downwardly therefrom there being sets of opposed vertical slots in said walls, of a sheet metal partition having a vtongue extending downwardly between said walls and having plates projecting therefrom for engaging in opposed slots whereby said partition is rigidly supported in upright position 4. In a filing container, the combination with a sheet metal bottom having a longitudinally extending channel, there being slots at opposite sides of said channel extending laterally in the bottom and vertically in the channel sides, of a sheet metal partition having a tongue engaging at its sides in said slots, the vertical edges of said slots serving to rigidly support the partition in upright position, said tongue terminating above the floor of said channel.

5. In a filing container, the combination with a sheet metal bottom having a longitudinally extending channel, there being slots at opposite sides of said channel extending laterally in the bottom and vertically in the channel sides, of a sheet metal partition having a tongue for engaging in below their tops being diagonal and divergent whereby to permit setting of said partition at any inclination.

7 In a filing cabinet container, the combination of a sheet metal bottom having opposed parallel walls extending downwardly therefrom, there being sets of opposed upright slots in said walls, a partition having an extensio for engaging in said slots, said slots at their upper ends being substantially of a Width equal to the thickness of the partition, one edge of said slots being cut out to leave an intermediate step, said step serving to support the partition in inclined position.

8. In a filing cabinet container, the combination of. a sheet metal bottom having opposed parallel walls extending downwardly therefrom, there being sets of opposed upright slots in said walls, a partition having an extension for engaging in said slots, said slots at their upper ends being substantially of a width equal to the thickness of the partition, the opposed edges of each slot being cut away a distance diagonally to leave steps for supporting the partition in inclined position.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of May, A. D. 1917.

DAVID E. HUNTER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q, 

